Vietnam's Doi Moi process is ensuring human rights which include gender equality and rights of vulnerable groups like elderly, women, children, and disabled. (Photo: WVR/Nguyen Hong)

This is the assertion of Jean-Pierre Archambault, General Secretary of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV) when giving an interview to the press in Paris on the occasion of Vietnam's candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

According to Jean-Pierre Archambault, in 1975, Vietnam was still a severely damaged country, belonging to the group of poor countries under embargo.

By 2010, Vietnam had left the group of the poorest countries to join the group of middle-income countries.

This move is thanks to the Doi Moi, carried out since 1986, which has enabled significant development and progress in Vietnam.

Vietnam has undergone a successful transformation of its agricultural sector, which has since gone beyond the goal of food self-sufficiency.

Jean-Pierre Archambault assessed that this is really a remarkable effort when it can be done in just 25 years, a short period of time compared to the country's long history.

Up to now, Vietnam is continuing to move forward, moving to a new stage of development and towards becoming a rich, strong, democratic and modern country.

Jean-Pierre Archambault stated that in Vietnam's national development policy, supporting the poor is a priority of the government, especially the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.

He praised relevant Vietnamese agencies for paying attention to gender equality and ensuring rights of vulnerable groups like the elderly, women, children and the disabled. Vietnam has also actively joined the United Nations’ conventions to protect them.

Vietnam also actively participates in UN Conventions to protect vulnerable groups of people. Jean-Pierre Archambault took the issue of equality between men and women as an example.

According to him, the role of the Vietnamese women has changed, evidenced by the election of many female deputies to the National Assembly.

Regarding the Vietnamese Party and State’s efforts to ensure human rights in the motto “Leaving no one behind”, Archambault emphasized that Vietnam’s effective anti-COVID-19 strategy has been welcomed by the World Health Organization and foreign media.

The Vietnamese Party, State and Government offered free medical care and vaccination to citizens, as well as gave support to disadvantaged firms and people.

As regards Vietnam’s contributions to international community in human rights, he emphasized that the country has done a good job of ensuring the right to peace, national independence and the right to live.

Over the past years, Vietnam has also actively joined humanitarian activities at the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan which has been applauded by the UN and international community.